State vouchers will provide supportive housing for 20 vulnerable Boulder County residents

James LaChance, left, and Paul Luther were at the Boulder County homelessness coordinated entry location inside the Boulder County Housing and Human Services building in March seeking assistance. Homeless Solutions of Boulder County, a countywide partnership among agencies, on Monday announced it has received vouchers to provide supportive housing to 20 as of-yet-unchosen individuals. (Jeremy Papasso / Staff Photographer)

Exactly one year since it was created, Homeless Solutions for Boulder County, a partnership between Boulder County, the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, the Inn Between of Longmont and Mental Health Partners, announced its largest influx of supportive housing to date.

Considered the gold standard for homeless prevention, supportive housing provides affordable housing for the most vulnerable segments of the community by subsidizing rents and providing critical services for people to address underlying issues.

Homeless Solutions, which also includes the cities of Boulder and Longmont, the Boulder Bridge House, Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement for Longmont, and Outreach United Resource Center, on Monday announced it received 20 vouchers from the state Department of Local Affairs with a value of up to $1 million over four years , which will cover the cost of rent beyond 30 percent of an individual's monthly income and provide them with stable housing for as long as they need.

"The goal of Homeless Solutions for Boulder County is to help adults experiencing homelessness find stable housing solutions as quickly as possible, and these vouchers will significantly help meet that goal," said Greg Harms, CEO at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless. "Housing people is the solution to homelessness, and these vouchers are important step forward in our shared strategy."

Advertisement

Though that might seem expensive to the average taxpayer, according to Boulder County Homeless Services it is half as expensive and far more humane than allowing homeless people to be constantly churned through a cycle of jails, hospitals and psychiatric wards.

While Homeless Solutions has yet to announce who will be awarded the vouchers, it has determined a process by which it can fairly determine the neediest individuals. Using the new coordinated entry system, which quickly assesses homeless adults and directs them to the proper agencies for care, Homeless Solutions created a database that prioritizes individuals based on how long they've been homeless, how long they've been in the community, if they have any disabilities or mental disorders, and their age.

Over that last year, Homeless Solutions was able to screen more than 2,500 individuals . Along with ensuring that each agency is using its limited resources as efficiently as possible, that data will also help Homeless Solutions determine exactly how big the need is and what housing options will work best, said Jennifer Biess, Boulder County Homeless Services Systems manager.

For the time being, permanent supportive housing is at the top of that list. The Boulder Shelter has run a similar program for 11 years now and more than 70 percent of those who enter either find stable housing on their own or remain in the supportive housing program. The Inn Between, which mostly operates a temporary supportive housing program, found that 80 percent of its clientele have stayed off the streets. By combining their expertise and resources in the Homeless Solutions, they hope to open this program to more people each year.

Since Homeless Solutions was created, Boulder Housing partners announced 28 housing vouchers for non-elderly, low-income households with a disabling condition (though they will not all be used for Homeless Solutions clients) ,

Boulder Housing Partners, the city's largest provider of affordable housing, was awarded the 28 vouchers to assist low-income residents with disabilities and their families in paying for housing in Boulder County.

In 2017, Boulder Housing Partners served 369 households headed by adults with disabilities, with an annual median income of $10,188. According to a six-month report by Homeless Solutions for Boulder County, 71 percent of 1,100 clients screened through the new coordinated entry process in Boulder reported a disabling condition.

A September lottery for the 28 vouchers drew 150 applicants.

"The need for this housing support far exceeds the available vouchers," Jeremy Durham, executive director of Boulder Housing Partners, said in a statement. "We'll continue to pursue more in the upcoming round."

Also since Homeless Solutions was begun, The Inn Between has partnered with several local organizations and churches to build six permanent supportive housing units in Longmont , and the city of Boulder has agreed to fund 10 permanent supportive housing vouchers.

"Every agency and organization that is part of Homeless Solutions for Boulder County is now working in close coordination, and this award is a testament to our collaborative approach," Biess said. "I think because we're all focused on this goal of building these resources we're super excited. Every single unit is critical and we're just going to keep pushing forward."

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story